Control means for bookkeeping



Nqv. 12, 1935. w. A. ANDERSON CONTROL MEANS FOR BOOKKEEPING MACHINES Filed Jan. 6, 1935 Patented Nov. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTROL MEANS FOR BOOKKEEPING MACHINES tion of Delaware Application January 6; 1933, Serial No. 650,393

' 1 Claim. (01. 235-58) This invention relates to bookkeeping and similar machines having a laterally movable paper carriage together with means whereby the carriage is enabled to control the printing, computing and other mechanisms of the machine. Such a machine is disclosed in the Sunds'trand application Serial No. 118,628 filed June 26, 1926 (which corresponds to French Patent No. 625,678). The carriage is equipped with a control plate adapted to coact withcontrol devices located'on the stationary framework of the machine. The control plate is removable from the carriage so that another control plate adapted to effect a different succession of operations may be substituted. The means whereby the control plate is detachably connected to the carriage is of such a nature that the plate must be engaged with or disengaged from the carriage by imparting several different kinds.

of movements to the plate. Unless these move- 0 ments are properly performed, difliculty will be encountered in attaching or detaching the plate and if care be not used damage may be done to adjacent control elements. Experience has shown that some users of the machine are not. sufliciently adept or careful in attaching and detaching the control plate.

The object of the present invention is to improve upon the construction shown in the abovementioned Sundstrand application with a view to simplifying the operation of attaching or detaching the control 'plate and reducing the possibility of injury to other parts.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a right-hand end elevation of a paper carriage equipped with my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental plan view of the control plate.

Fig.3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental plan View.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the control plate and the pivot shaftto which it is attachable.

Fig. 6 is a section on-line 6-5 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing, l denotes a paper carriage mounted on a track member 2 by means of roller bearings 3. I is a group of control elements. lo-

ings in the carriage. The shaft 5 has a fiat upper side 8 upon which one edge portion of the plate 5 is adapted to lie, as shown in Fig. 3. The means for securing the plate 5 to the shaft 6 comprises two pins 9 aflixed to theshaft in position to project through openings HI formed in the forward 5 edge portion of the plate near the ends thereof. Several spring-actuated latching studs H are mounted on the shaft 6. In the construction selected for illustration herein, there are three such studs between the pins 9 and a fourth stud be- 10 yond or at the outer side of the right-hand pin 9.

' In the present instance all of these latching studs are alike. Each comprises a head l2 and a stem i3, the latter being slidable in an opening ll in the shaft 6. A compression spring I 5 located in a re- 15 'cess IS in the' shaft bears at one end against the On the plate 5 a locking slide 20 to coact with u the studs Ii in securing the plate to the shaft 6. Said slide is held to the plate 5 by means of two headed studs 2| hired in the plate and extending through elongated openings 22 in the slide. A similar opening 23 in the slide provides clearance '50 for the right-hand pin 8,as shown in Fig. '6.

Openings 24 are formed in the slide to afford clearance for the heads l2 of the studs H as the control plate is being laid on the pivot shaft 5, as

in Fig. 4. Communicating with each opening 24 88 is a relatively narrow elongated opening 25 which may be moved into register with the stem H .by longitudinal movement of the slide. The walls of the opening 25 are slightly chamfered as shown at 28 in Fig. 2 to coact with the beveled lower side of 40 the head l2 and thus cam up the head l2 as the stem l3 enters the narrow slot 25. The inner end of the slot 25 is slightly enlarged as at 25' to receive the lower portion of the tapered surface l8 of the stud H.

Theslide 20 is longitudinally movable to bring the openings 25 into and out of register with the studs I l by any preferred means, as for example,- a lever 21 pivoted to the control plate at 28 and having a finger-piece 29. Said lever is connected so to the slide 20 through the medium of a link 30.

In practice, the selected control plate is laid on the flat upper side of the pivot shaft 5 with the pins 9 extending through the openings HI and the latching studs I l projecting through the openings 55 the relatively small openings 2!- below the heads l2 oi. the studs ii. Such movement of the slide camstheheads l2 upslightlvsoastocausethe heads to bear with some pressure upon the slide 2., thus holding the control plate firmly to its pivot shaft and preventing rattling. When the control plate is to be removed preparatory to the substitution oi a control plate having a diflerent arrangement or stop pins 5, the order of operations just described is performed in reverse order.

It will be seen that the heads I! cannot leave the openings IS without rising slightly, whereby a detent action is obtained which serves to hold the slide 2| in locking position.

It will be evident that the control plate is placed in position on the pivot shaft, or removed therefrom, by a simple vertical movement which requires aminimum oicareon the part oi'theoperator, and which obviates the danger of damage to adjacent parts.

I would have it understood that various changes secured, and means for thus securing the plate to said part comprising two pins on said part to enter holes in the end portions oi the plate, a

series of headed studs on said part, spring means 10 urging the heads 0! said studs toward said part, the sides of said heads adjacent said part being beveled. said plate having openings aiifording clearance for said heads, a slide secured to the plate for limited longitudinal movement, said slide having openings providing clearance for said heads, and each-oi the last-mentioned openings communicating with a narrow opening adapted, on movement of the slide, to register with said studs below the heads thereof, said spring means acting 29 to press the slide against the plate and the plate against said part to prevent rattling, and lever means for moving the slide.

- WALTER A. ANDERSON. 

